Recommendations on athlete's hydration
Last updated onFebruary 3, 2022
The body is made up of about 60% water. Staying properly hydrated is essential for maintaining iron-clad health! It is generally recommended to drink between 1.5 and 2 liters per day, depending on your size, weight, physical activity...
Generally, aim to limit drinks that contain a lot of caffeine and theine which have a diuretic effect, therefore dehydrating, just like alcohol for that matter! Also, bear in mind that sodas do not hydrate - they even promote aging (see below).
How to hydrate when exercising?
In case of physical activity in hot weather, you should start drinking water regularly from the morning. From half an hour before the activity until the end, a good performance drink is recommended (BN NOW for example). For the baldest among us, don't forget to protect your head in case of a heatwave or effort in direct sunlight!
Is water enough?
Please note that in case of sports effort, the minimum is to accompany your water intake with a pinch of salt and a little sugar if you intend to distribute the water throughout all the tissues of your body and thus maintain good hydration.
A little reminder of the importance of water on our skeleton...
A well-hydrated cartilage receives its nutrition from the blood supply to its attachment at the base of the bone. In case of lack of water, the joint will draw from its capsule. The capsule will swell, weaken then create inflammation.
Water also acts on the joints as a lubricant or as a support capable of carrying the force produced by the weight and tension of the muscles on the joints. The water stored in the core of the lumbar discs supports 75% of the weight of the upper body. In case of dehydration, the 5th lumbar disc is affected in 95% of cases.
And what about sodas...?
Sodas do not hydrate, but above all they accelerate aging, regular soda drinkers have shorter telomeres. Telomeres are repeated DNA sequences that get a little shorter each time cells divide; the older we get, the shorter these sequences become. A study shows that regular soda consumers had shorter telomeres in the DNA of their white blood cells. This study was done on adults, but what about the children who from a young age consume sodas daily...
One last detail, don't wait until you're thirsty before drinking... It will already be too late!
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